Dr. Stephen Rapier Authors Opinion on Why PG&E Should Focus Less on Branding and More on Core Operations

In 2018, Northern California experienced the most destructive wildfire in California history, destroying nearly 14,000 homes and killing 85 people. The fire was caused by a live wire that broke free from a tower that was a quarter-century past what Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) consider its “useful life.” As PG&E restores its brand and company, many ask how much the large utilities company truly values its customers.

Dr. Stephen Rapier shares his insights, lessons learned from PG&E, and how other organizations can learn from these lessons. Dr. Rapier focuses on three recent actions PG&E has publically taken. First, organizations that are facing scrutiny need to consider the optics of their actions. Second, organizations must pay for past mistakes, regardless of the cost. Third, if an organization undergoes a renaming, it must signal a genuine restart. As PG&E moves forward, and if they truly want to regain the trust of Californians, they will have to endure the long road and challenges that lie ahead. Read more.